A special thank-you to the enormously supportive team at Ballantine Books, especially Jennifer Hershey for suggesting that Dana Isaacson fill in for her as editor while she was busy adding to her family! And thank you, Dana, for being so wicked awesome. Thanks also to Courtney Moran, Crystal Velasquez, Kim Hovey, Kate Blum, and Libby McGuire.

Snaps to Steve Axelrod, the world’s best agent.

Thanks to the home team: Ed and Jason Gaffney, Eric Ruben, Apolonia Davalos, Fred and Lee Brockmann, Kathy Lague, the fabulous Kuhlmans, and the world’s most awesome schnauzer puppies, CK Dexter-Haven and Lil’ Joe.

Thanks to my first-draft readers: Ed Gaffney, Lee Brockmann, Deede Bergeron, Patricia McMahon, and Scott Lutz.

Thanks also to the members of my political “debate club”—Bill, Jodie and Joan Kuhlman, Randy Divinski, Deede Bergeron, Patricia McMahon and, of course, Ed. You guys helped make campaign season bearable.

A big shout out to my steadfast gang of readers/volunteers—Elizabeth and Lee Benjamin, Suzie Bernhardt, Stephanie Hyacinth, Jim and Beki Keene, Laura Luke, Jeanne Mangano, Heather McHugh, Peggy Mitchell, Dorbert Ogle, Gail Reddin, Erika Schutte, and Sue Smallwood.

As always, any mistakes I’ve made or liberties I’ve taken are completely my own.